In John’s Writings
IN THE STUDY:
The Gospel, letters, and Revelation bearing John’s name have a great deal of content concerning the Holy Spirit.
In the Gospel Jesus is uniquely possessed of the Spirit. (1:32-33). The Christian is one who is born anew in the spirit (3:5-8). That new birth in the spirit had to await Christ’s work being completed and His Ascension. The spirit had not been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified (7:39). Jesus gave instructions to the Disciples about the coming of the Counsellor who would dwell with them, guide them in truth, help them understand the life of Jesus (14:26), and to witness to Him (15:26-27).
The Holy Spirit would come at the time of the physical departure of Jesus. After the Resurrection of the Jesus the gift of the Spirit is bestowed upon His followers by his creative inbreathing (20:22).
In the letters of John He indicates that all Christians are anointed by the Spirit of God as the assurance of Christ’s presence (1 John 2:20; 3:24). The Holy Spirit witnesses to Christ and is responsible for acknowledging His Lordship (1 John 4:2; 5:7-8).
In the Revelation it is the Holy Spirit who declares the message through John (1:10; 2:7; 4:2 etc.) When the Church cries out for the coming of the Lord it is the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking through the members (22:17).
IN THE PULPIT:
The Revelation of John reveals part of the work of the Holy Spirit.
1.The spirit gives the vision. It is only when John is open and available to the Spirit of God that the great visions flash upon his mind’s eye. We understand heaven only through being available to the Holy Spirit.
2. The Spirit brings the message. In each of the letters to the seven churches it is the Spirit of God who speaks. The Spirit is Christ’s messenger to humanity.
3. The Spirit guarantees the promise. In John 14 He guarantees the gift of eternal life and of our rest in eternity.
4. The Spirit bears the invitation. It is the Church through the power of the Holy Spirit who invites the return of Jesus Christ. The Church and Spirit together look forward to His return.
AMONG THE PEOPLE:
The woman sat in my study and told me of how her marriage had broken down, and of the months of loneliness of separation. While praying to God a phrase came into her mind “Two of you can work a miracle”. The phrase kept re-occurring in her mind over and over again.
She tried to locate where she had heard it. A sermon? A television show? In a woman’s magazine? The source of the phrase was obscure but the message was clear. If she and her husband came together they could by God’s grace work a miracle that would reconcile them and make their marriage new.
She approached her husband. He wanted no more of the marriage. However, the phrase stuck in his mind. Then he approached her. They decided to try again this time asking God’s help in their marriage. Very tenderly they are trying to put back the pieces of a shattered marriage. Even the trying seems to be a miracle.
Was her voiced instruction only wishful thinking? Was it some spiritual message? Was it some dregs of a sub-conscious desire? Was it the result of a dream now forgotten? The origin of the words don’t matter. What matters to her is that she believed that the Holy Spirit guided her and is helping both her and her husband work a miracle.
